Euromed: Partnership needed to face crisis, Dassu said

Italy supports CBC MED, Libya must be included

(ANSAMed) - ROME, JULY 17 - Italy supports the Mediterranean
cooperation program, because cohesion is needed to face the
uncertainties of the Arab Spring and the European economic
crisis, foreign undersecretary Marta Dassu said at the the
midterm conference of the Cross-Border Cooperation in the
Mediterranean (CBC MED) program today.

CBC MED is part of the new European Neighbourhood Policy and of
its financing instrument (ENPI) for the 2007-2013 period. It
includes the European Union and 14 partner countries, and its
objective is to promote harmonious and sustainable cooperation
in the Mediterranean, to face common challenges together, and to
leverage the potential of each of the 76 participating regions.
''The EU looks with great hope to the changes taking place in
the Maghreb and the Mashrek,'' Dassu said. ''But there is also a
strong concern as to political instability due to the economic
repercussions stemming from this awakening of the Arab
peoples.''
Europe is also in trouble, and reinforcing the
Euro-Mediterranean partnership is critical in order to face the
crisis, the undersecretary said.

''Italy supports the 22% increase in funds for EU Neighborhood
policies, bringing them to 18.1 billion euros for 2014-2020,''
Dassu said, adding that Italy needs to take a prominent role in
the region-wide changes that are taking place. ''Libya should be
involved in the CBC MED program as well,'' Dassu said.